This invention relates to systems for storing and transporting outboard motors, and particularly to pallet and rack systems for storing and transporting outboard motors.
Outboard motors for boats and other watercraft are generally packed into corrugated and wood-cleated boxes for storage and transportation from the point of manufacture to a destination, e.g., to a boat building facility or to a boat dealership. This method of packaging is time-consuming, expensive and takes up a great deal of space. In particular, unpacking the outboard motors at their destination involves much labor and the packaging materials are discarded after unpacking, both of which add to the cost of shipping motors.
While in the case of a boat dealer, it may be desirable to transport an outboard engine inside its own crate or package to facilitate storage at the boat dealership, this is not true for situations where the outboard engines need not be stored at the destination. For example, if an outboard engine is being shipped to a boat builder who will mount the engine to the boat upon its arrival, there is no need to provide means for protecting the outboard engine during storage. Similarly, if outboard engines are being shipped to a test facility, there is no need for the engines to be packaged or crated.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system of storing and transporting outboard motors without crating which utilizes reusable components, is easy to practice and is economic with regard to cost and space requirements.
The present invention is directed to a rack for storing and transporting outboard motors or engines. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, an outboard motor rack has a substantially planar base which functions as a pallet by providing a rigid horizontal support structure with tunnels or channels for insertion of forklift arms or tines. The rack further comprises a pair of upright opposing frames secured to the base. Each frame supports a respective motor mounting beam designed to receive a respective plurality of outboard engines mounted thereto, e.g., by means of mountings used to attach outboard motors to boat transoms. Preferably the base and frames are made of metal, while the motor mounting beams can be made of metal, wood, fiberglass, plastic, or any other material having sufficient strength to bear the weight of the motors attached thereto. The preferred material for the motor mounting beams is a plywood beam with a metal L-shaped sheath. The use of plywood has the advantages of reduced cost and easy replacement.
The invention is further directed to a method for storing and/or transporting outboard marine motors utilizing a rigid rack having pairs of tunnels or channels for insertion of forklift tines. The base supports a pair of upright opposing frames, each frame in turn supporting a respective motor mounting beam. At least two outboard motors are mounted to each beam. Then a forklift is used to lift a fully loaded rack and load it onto a trailer or other carrier vehicle. A multiplicity of loaded racks are transported to a shipping destination. At the shipping destination, the outboard motors are removed from the racks. The empty racks are then returned to the point of origin.